America’s first continuously-published newspaper, the Boston News-Letter published its first issue on April 24, 1704. John Campbell, a bookseller and postmaster of Boston, was its first editor, printing the newspaper on what was then referred to as a half-sheet. It originally appeared on a single page, printed on both sides and issued weekly.
In the early years of its publication the News-Letter was filled mostly with news from London journals detailing the intrigues of English politics, and a variety of events concerning the European wars. The rest of the newspaper was filled with items listing ship arrivals, deaths, sermons, political appointments, fires, accidents and the like.
One of the most sensational stories published when the News-Letter was the only newspaper in the colonies was the the account of how Blackbeard the pirate was killed in hand-to-hand combat on the deck of a sloop that had engaged his ship in battle.
Campbell relinquished his stewardship of the paper in 1722 to Bartholomew Green, its printer. As editor, Green devoted less space to overseas events and more to domestic news. When Green died after a decade as its editor, the News-Letter was inherited by his son John Draper, also a printer. Draper proved to be a better editor and publisher than his predecessors. He enlarged the paper to four good-sized pages, filling it with news from Boston, other towns throughout the colonies, and from abroad.
On view here is the May 14, 1761 issue of the News-Letter. The front page is displayed in its entirety. Notice the credit line Printed by J. Draper appearing under the masthead. As was the custom then, the front page was devoted to events overseas. This issue contains news from London, a speech by the King to the House of Commons, and various accounts from Westminster and Whitehall.
Also displayed from this issue is an ad from the back page for a Scheme of a Lottery. The lottery was created to sell 6000 tickets at $2 each to raise funds to pave the highway in Charlestown from the Ferry to the Neck. Of the $12,000 to be raised, according to the ad, $10,800 is earmarked for prizes and $1200 for paving the highway.
As time progressed, and those who disliked England fell into favor, the half sheet became a call to arms for America, and later, the basis for Freedom of the Press as granted in the Bill Of Rights originated in our own home state of Pennsylvania, by great men or little means, and big dreams, and today this principle stands for the ability of Blogs like mine, and papers like the Argus, and Herald to publish freely.
But today, we are-under siege again, as the article below describes, the death of the Rocky Mountain news.
All to often do papers go under, 23 in the last month by my count, and while the Internet is a great and powerful tool, the Government, a body of corrupt people by my thought, could someday , like they-do in China and other countries, simply flick a switch and tun of the Internet, the cell phones, and other communication devices and have their way with us.
As such, we must work to keep local newspapers, to keep the printing presses of old running and alive, so that news of those who hope to oppress us, to control us, to lead us down the wrong path, be exposed so that we, The United States Citizen, Americans, be allowed to decide for yourself, and to maintain control of this country through the right to bear arms, the right to free speech and the ability to communicate in ways not electronic that can be shut off like a desk lamp in the night at will by those who may someday oppress us in bright light, or the dead of night.
We must keep the Press free, we must keep newspapers, and I implore you to buy a subscription to the local paper in your home town, to spite the free news online, because once the newspapers that chronicle our lives fade from site, memories will be at the mercy of those with access to data bases, to delete, to revise,to our right lie on, with no real hard copy record for those to come in the future, our children, their children, our future generations.
If you think this can not be done, look to inauguration Day, 2009, when a threat was perceived for Barack Obama, the Secret Service quietly turned off all phone service that could be used to set off a bomb, and millions in the city chalked it up to a system overload, look to the London bombings, when-England shut off phone service to the city in ten seconds to keep more bombs from being triggered electronically by phone until they could be located and detonated.
Your freedom, your ability to communicate Can be gone in a second, the Internet stopped, your access deleted, your life put Ianthe hands of a less than honest government, it could happen to you.
Do not, do not, DO NOT!!!!!!!!, let the press and news die.
Do Something, but a copy of your-local paper today, and everyday. It’s your best insurance that you will be someday saved by the truth,by the press and its freedom.
Don’t rely on me, or Blogger like us, we could be turned off in a click should someone want us closed down in power, and their is nothing we could do.
Just ask the Chinese bloggers who are in jail.
